Tinker Trainer Slayer Spy
by inkscale
Summary: Three years after his battle with the Red Death, Hiccup wants to see more of the world than just his little island of Berk. When Hiccup finally gets his chance to leave, his plans change unexpectedly. Visitors and misunderstandings lead to Berk preparing for possible war.  rated T for later violence. Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD. Rights belong to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell
1. A Little Bit of Freedom

Three years. It had already been three years since the battle with the Red Death, and Hiccup still couldn't find a way to speak to his dad without having the conversation fall into silence or grow awkward.

_All I wanted was to have a little freedom. A chance to travel, see a few new places while I'm still young. Is that really too much to ask? _It seemed as if Hiccup would never be able to get through to his father, no matter how proud Hiccup had made him in the past. He had killed the deadliest dragon known to man! He could take on a foreign land and a few foreign people. But no, he had to stay put on Berk and see to _formalities _and all the silly little things that came with being the chief-to-be.

"Dad, come on, why can't you just listen to me? I'm not in charge yet, I should be doing all the traveling I can _before _I become the chief! Before I have to stay here on Berk for the rest of my life! I need to learn about all those other places- the cultures, the people! I've even begun studying a couple new languages, I-"

"Now JUST a minute, son." Hiccup's rant was sharply interrupted by his father, Stoick the Vast. The man could silence anyone with just a wave of the hand. Except Hiccup, of course. It took a bit more yelling to quiet the stubborn-headed young viking. "Look, Hiccup, I'm not saying it's not a good idea for you to go off on your own and learn to fend for yourself a little more, but I really do need you here to help me keep things in order. Especially since I've just gotten word that one of my old friends will be visiting Berk soon. A distant cousin, actually. You've met him before."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Seljast, chief of the Askr Gotar tribe on Stenr Isle. You were only six or seven years old when he last visited. You may not remember him, but he and I were close friends. He normally visited three or four times a year, but things changed. That's what I need to talk to you about, Hiccup."

"So what, your cousin's coming to visit and I just _have _to meet him? We get visitors from other tribes every other month, dad! Aside from the fact that you two are relatives, why should this visit be any different?" Hiccup was trying not to let his voice rise to a shout. Was this really the only reason his father needed him to stay on Berk?

"That's not the only reason I need you here" Stoick continued as if he had just read Hiccup's thoughts. "I told you that Seljast stopped visiting for a reason. Well, that reason was his wife."

"What? What about his wife? Did she leave him for someone here on Berk?"

Stoick shook his head. "No, she was taken. Killed-"

"_Killed?!_ Someone on Berk killed your cousin's wife?"

"Not some_one_." Stoick brought his face closer to Hiccup's and lowered his voice. "Some_thing. _Seljast's wife was killed... by a dragon."

Hiccup's breath caught. After a moment he answered, "Oh." It was all he could think of to say.

"Now do you see? You're needed here to keep this whole matter of the dragons under control. My cousin doesn't know we've got a bunch of tamed dragons flying around the island. Once he finds out, it's not unlikely he'll be angry. He might even feel betrayed. I am asking _you_, Hiccup, to show him that the dragons are not what we used to think they were. Do it for me, son? For the tribe?" Stoick stared down at Hiccup, not much shorter now than he, with an expectant look. Hiccup sighed. He knew he could never refuse a task like the one his father had just asked of him. Looking back to his father, Hiccup nodded slowly. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. But I'm sure you know what I'm going to ask from _you _now, right?" He shifted his feet and waited a few seconds.

Stoick looked like he was deep in thought. There was silence for a moment between father and son. "You want to travel" he finally responded. "Hiccup," Hiccup's heart leapt as he anticipated what his dad would say next.

"I'm sorry." Hiccup's heart quickly sank back down. "I think your plans will have to wait. Even after Seljast leaves, there's still so much I need you to do here. You've got to take on more responsibility now that you're at a decent age to assist me in my duties as chief. That title will be yours one day. You need to be prepared." He looked away from his son. He knew that Hiccup would hate his answer, but it was for his own good. And the good of the tribe.

"I understand. I'll do as you ask... chief." Hiccup instantly took on a cold, formal tone as he spoke his last sentence. He gave a brief nod to his father, then turned on his heel and walked mechanically away. Stoick felt bad for the boy. He was the chief, but he was also a father. He watched for a few more seconds as Hiccup marched sullenly off towards the forge.

**...**

"Oi! What in Thor's name has got yer undies inna bunch, lad? Put down that hammer! You look like yeh're abou' ready to kill someone."

Gobber the Belch had slammed open the door to the forge only to find his apprentice in a fit of anger and frustration. The boy was beating a smithing hammer down over a lump of metal, which was slowly forming into something not even Gobber could figure out. He had witnessed similar cases in the past; Hiccup would come in after having a chat with his father, grab something heavy, and start pounding out chunks of heated metal into all sorts of weapons and contraptions. Nevertheless, he had never seen Hiccup in such a state as this one. _Clang! _The hammer beat down on the metal again with a ringing that made Gobber's ears hurt. "What's gotten into ye teday? Don't suppose you were talking to the, _ehem_, chief_, _were yeh?"

Hiccup, not even glancing up to look at Gobber, grunted a confirmation and wiped the sweat that had gathered on his brow with the back of his hand. Gobber shook his head in annoyance and turned to head back out, knowing full well that he wouldn't get any time to focus in the forge with Hiccup in such a huff. But before he could so much as put his peg leg through the doorway, Gobber heard Hiccup sigh and he knew an angry rant was about to follow.

"I was talking to my dad just an hour ago," Hiccup started. "I asked him about when I would finally get my chance to leave Berk and do some real traveling."

"Aye, I remember yeh tellin' me about yer plans. Don't forget you still need to take that book on Latin home teday, I don' want it in my forge around all the fire and such."

"Yeah yeah, I know." Hiccup brushed away Gobber's interruption as he struck the metal again. _Clang!_ "Anyway, my dad told me that he couldn't let me leave the village. Not for a while. I need to stay here and 'carry out my duties as the chief-to-be.' Can you believe him?! Doesn't he understand that I don't _want _to stay cooped up on this island for the rest of my life? I need to explore the world, learn things! I know that doing something like that could better me for the future. But _no_! I have to hang around this stupid island that I could literally circle around on foot in fourty-eight hours! I just..."

Gobber nodded understandingly. "I get it, lad. You need some time to be on yer own. And ye _can _do that. Just make more time for you and Toothless to go flying! Have some 'Hiccup time' up in the air, no one to hold you back. Ye know wha' I mean?" He smiled warmly, thinking he had found the solution to the problem. Of course he hadn't. "No, _you_ don't understand either" Hiccup answered heatedly. "That's not freedom. Well... it is, sort of, but it's not freedom from Berk. Every time I go flying with Toothless, I know that I'm going to turn around at some point and come straight back here. I want to know how it feels to leave this all behind and head off to face something unexpected. Something exciting! Don't you get it, Gobber? That's what I want. Just a little bit of freedom." With those words, Hiccup set down the hammer and, using a pair of tongs, took hold of the hunk of glowing, shaped metal out of the hot coals. Water hissed and steamed as he lowered the metal into the water barrel to cool.

Once the metal had cooled, Hiccup lifted it back out and set it down on the nearest workbench. He put away his tools quickly and neatly, then passed Gobber as he slipped out of the forge without another word. Weary and ready to go home too, Gobber decided to take a moment and see exactly what Hiccup had created. He stepped towards the workbench and lowered his head for a clearer view. The chunk of iron had been pounded and shaped into what looked like a... bird's feather? Gobber shook his head and shrugged, muttering something to himself as he hobbled out of the forge. He didn't give the metal feather a second thought.


	2. Visitors

Hiccup woke up in just as bad a mood as the one he had gone to sleep in. He sighed, throwing off the sheets. He slipped on his boots and threw on a green tunic over his pants. It was going to be another long day. People to see (people he would rather avoid), dragons to train, and no time to himself in his workshop. He wouldn't get to finish his stupid project, either. Oh! He had left that last piece sitting on the workbench!

_Gobber probably saw it... Oh well, he probably couldn't even tell what it was. I haven't added in any of the details yet. _

Hiccup remembered storming out of the forge the night before, forgetting the crudely shaped metal feather in the process. The thing wasn't any longer than the length from his wrist to the tips of his fingers, and no wider than... well, a typical bird's feather.

_Whatever. It's not like he'll know what it's for, anyway._

Perfect. Of course, nothing ever went how Hiccup wanted it to go. Another wonderful day for a chief-to-be. He tiredly left his house and strolled down in the direction of the dragon training academy to get in some flying time with Toothless. Toothless, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found at the moment. Just when Hiccup thought his plans for the day couldn't get any more irritating, they did.

"Son!" Stoick called up to Hiccup. The chief was waiting down near the docks, waving over at his son to join him. Hiccup groaned and tried to pretend like he hadn't heard his father call him. He kept himself composed but picked up the pace a little, hoping he could escape another "chat" with his dad.

"Hiccup! Get down here! There are a some people here I'd like you to meet!" _Just keep walking Hiccup..._

"NOW!" Stoick bellowed. The man meant business. _Ughh, why? Why me? _Hiccup reluctantly turned his head towards the docks and waved, signaling to his father that he had, in fact, heard him.

"Coming dad" Hiccup answered. He was so _not _in the mood for this today. He headed down towards the docks, squinting at the two figures standing next to Stoick. They were both tall... and thin. As he got closer, Hiccup figured that the two people were definitely female. He focused his eyes a bit more as he got closer. One of the visitors wore a dark braid going down the side of her head. The other, the slightly taller one, wore her long hair loose and wavy. The hair was almost white, it reminded Hiccup of a winter spirit. Neither girl was smiling. There was something off-putting about them. They could never fit in with people like the Berkians, they seemed too... elegant. They stood up straight, with their necks long and their chins up. Like royalty. Hiccup didn't like it.

"Hiccup, I would like you to meet our new guests." Stoick smiled eagerly at Hiccup and tilted his head towards the two girls.

"I thought you weren't expecting anyone until next month?" Hiccup hissed softly, leaning in towards his father. He was careful not to make his behavior come off as shady or offensive to the "guests." Stoick only chuckled.

"Well you see, we didn't really, erm, get a notification beforehand, but-"

"Our father explained to us that we were to be sent here early." Both Hiccup and Stoick gave a start as the taller girl cut into Stoick's comment. "Our father sends his apologies for not informing you sooner, but it was imperative that we arrived here before he did to make sure everything was ready for his visit. Just to make sure nothing is... out of place." The girl's voice was just a little deeper than Hiccup had expected it to be. It was richer, Hiccup wanted her to keep talking but at the same time never wanted to hear the voice again. There was the faintest trace of something sinister in the way it sounded. For all the richness that that voice possessed, it was cold. The shorter girl nodded her head in agreement and looked silently from Stoick to Hiccup. Her lips curved into a sly smile as her eyes met Hiccup's. She gave a furtive raise of her eyebrows and winked at him, then turned back to Stoick before anyone but Hiccup could notice. "We are very thankful to have been received so graciously by the chief of Berk" she said. This voice had a coarser, displeasing quality. "We're sure Seljast will be pleased to hear how hospitable the Berkian people are."

"Wait, did you say Seljast?" Hiccup asked.

"Aye" Stoick cut in. "These girls are his daughters. I'm sorry, I don't believed I gave a proper introduction. Hiccup, meet Sjenna," the shorter girl with the braid nodded and winked again, "and Krista" the taller one looked to Hiccup and gave a small smile. Not just her voice was beautiful. _She _was beautiful. Hiccup was unable to focus correctly for a moment.

"Are you sure there won't be any problems with the two of us staying here on the island for the next few weeks?" Krista was speaking again. "We won't be any trouble, really. We can take care of ourselves and we'll stay out of the way while the rest of your people go about their business. It will be like we're not even here." Krista had politely turned her attention back to Stoick, who answered her heartily.

"Nonsense! You ladies are our guests! The entire tribe welcomes you to our modest island. This evening we will have a feast in your honor. When your father arrives, we'll hold an even bigger one! One of my closest friends is finally coming back for a visit after so many years of silence. This is a time to celebrate!" Stoick's laugh boomed, startling a few civilians who were passing by. Krista, whom Hiccup could only guess was the older of the two, thanked the chief again and led her sister away towards one of the grand boats that was tied up at a dock. As soon as the girls disappeared into a cabin somewhere belowdeck, Hiccup zeroed in on his father.

"What in Odin's hairy back was _that? _Seljast's daughters? Dad, what are they _doing _here? You told me that no one was visiting Berk for a few _weeks_."

"Well, erm, I _may _have been stretching the truth a little on that one" Stoick answered sheepishly. "I was honest when I said that Seljast wouldn't be arriving for another month. And so far that's held true! But his daughters... well, even _I _didn't know they were coming until two days ago." He shrugged, hoping his son would understand. Hiccup only rolled his eyes.

"Oh, sure! Just dump even more responsibility on me when I've already got enough to deal with!" He gave a sarcastic laugh. Stoick spoke up before Hiccup could go any further.

"Son, please. This is important. Not just to me, but to the tribe. We could be united again, Berk and Askr Ey. The Berkians and the Askr Gotar have a chance to make peace after that horrible accident with Seljast's wife. With you helping, everything will go so much more smoothly. Especially when it comes to the dragons. Speaking of which, where are all of the dragons right now? Wasn't today a training day?"

Hiccup smacked himself on the forehead. "Oh! That's right, I need to get to the academy! Dad, I have to go right now. Can we please, please talk about this later? I've got a lot to do today. I'll worry about Sjenna and Krista afterwards!" Hiccup turned to leave- and promptly tripped over nothing, causing him to do a beautiful faceplant into the ground. He spit out dirt. _What is _wrong _with me?! A lifetime of working with complex machinery and I still can't figure out coordination. _Hiccup could hear his father chuckling above him and felt himself being lifted up like a ragdoll. Two seconds later Hiccup's feet (real and mechanical) were planted firmly back on the ground.

"That's precisely _why_ I was asking about the dragons" Stoick said. "Sjenna and Krista don't know about them yet. More importantly, we can't have them finding out by themselves. They'll have a panic attack! We- well, _you_- have to ease the news onto them so that they know we don't mean any harm by having dragons here. I think it would be safer if you kept the dragons in the academy for a few days, just until we're ready to introduce them to our guests. Especially Toothless. All right?" Stoick put a meaty hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup exhaled.

"All right" he sighed. "But only for a few days. The dragons will get restless, it can't be for more than three or four days. And speaking of dragons, I've gotta go find a certain night fury. Now if you'll _excuse_ me." With that said, Hiccup turned back around (very carefully) and walked briskly away, determined to get to the academy before he was asked to deal with something else. As Hiccup passed the boats, two pairs of eyes followed his path from an unseen porthole. They looked curiously on as the boy made his way up the main path and down towards the far side of the village.

"Remember," a voice purred from behind the porthole of the grand boat, which floated silently in the harbor,

"It will be like we're not even here."


	3. A Misunderstanding

Thinking about ten different thoughts at once, Hiccup entered the Training Academy only to find that every teen and dragon was already there, including Toothless.

"Hey guys, he's here!" Tuffnut shouted, even though everyone else was standing only a few feet away from him.

"Yeah, we can _see _that, idiot!" Ruffnut yelled back.

"So where have you been?" another voice rose above the shouts of the twins, who were now roughhousing eachother off to the side of the ring. Astrid Hofferson stepped forward, pushing her way past Snotlout Jorgensen to get to her boyfriend. "We've been waiting for over half an hour. You're late."

"I know I know, I'm sorry" Hiccup answered. "My dad was introducing me to some people."

Astrid raised her eyebrows. "People? What people?"

"Just our new guests for the next few weeks. The two daughters of some long lost relative or something. It's nothing. I just have to introduce them to the dragons in a few days and make sure they don't run away to their father screaming." Hiccup shrugged. He just wanted to get to training. He looked over at Toothless, who had been making gurgling noises at Stormfly but now finally noticed that Hiccup had arrived. Toothless bounded over to his rider, also eager to get started with some flying. "Hey bud. Sorry I've been so busy lately" Hiccup apologized to Toothless, then turned to face his friends again.

"You're making that thing about your 'new guests' sound like it's not a big deal. And why is introducing them to the dragons so important? Is their tribe still getting attacks? I thought all of the dragons were free to live in peace, with their queen out of the way and all."

Hiccup shook his head. "No, they're not getting attacks." He lowered his voice so that only Astrid could hear. "I'll explain everything to you later, it's kind of a touchy subject, my dad might not want anyone else hearing about it." Astrid nodded back to Hiccup and stepped away. Ruffnut, finished now with pummeling her brother, strutted over to Hiccup and asked in a disturbingly suggestive voice, "So, Hiccup, how old are these girls, anyway? Are they good-looking?"

"Uh... w-wha-?"

Ruffnut didn't let poor Hiccup finish. "Ha! I bet they are! Hey, Astrid! I think you might have some competition!" Ruffnut snickered. The rest of the teens besides Astrid joined in. Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Okay, everyone, if you're done fooling around, please go to your dragons and saddle up. We've already lost enough time."

"Yeah, whose fault is that?" Snotlout spat back.

"Hey Snotlout, are you sure you can find your way over to Hookfang through that thick ego of yours?" Hiccup responded, starting to lose his temper. He had barely gotten any sleep the night before.

"H-hey, enough you guys." Fishlegs had finally decided to pipe up and join the conversation. For once, everyone else listened to him. The twins stopped bashing eachother's helmets, Snotlout scowled and walked over to his monstrous nightmare, and Astrid smirked as she saddled up Stormfly.

Hiccup let out a breath. "All right. Today we'll just be going over some basic exercises in aerial coordination and maneuvering" everyone groaned. Hiccup ignored this. "There's a catch" he continued. Suddenly each teen look a little more enthusiastic.

"Oh, oh, do we have to do these exercises _upside down?"_ Tuffnut asked, high-fiving his sister with excitement. Hiccup immediately struck down Tuffnut's question.

"No"

"Oh"

"The catch _is_" Hiccup eyed the twins, "we can_not_ fly on the east side of the island, especially near the docks. We don't want to freak out our... visitors. Right?" Everyone else nodded. Ruffnut snickered again. Astrid elbowed Ruffnut in the arm. Ruffnut glared at Astrid. Astrid glared right back. Ruffnut elbowed Astrid a bit harder. Astrid kneed Ruffnut in the stomach.

_Oomph!_

Ruffnut suddenly decided she liked the quiet corner off to the side of the ring.

"Got it?" Hiccup finished in his "commanding teacher" voice. Once he gave his instructions about the drill, Hiccup walked over to Toothless and saddled up. "Everyone ready to go?" He looked at the other teens, all saddled and mounted on their dragons now. "Good. Here we g-"

"-What is_ this_?!" a voice rang out through the academy. Hiccup and the others looked to the entrance of the ring in the direction that the voice had come from. _Oh no..._

Sjenna, looking positively livid, stood next to Krista, who was wearing an expression that was unreadable. It had been Sjenna who had shouted. Where did those two come from? Hadn't they just been on their boat not even an hour ago?...

"What is going _on? _Dragons?! Here? You're _training them? _Why?"

Hiccup had no words. He slid quickly off of Toothless and stumbled to the ground.

"It's not what y- oh, man. Sjenna, Krista, please let me explain!" Hiccup held up his hands. "They're not as bad as you think, please, just lis-"

"LIES! How could you do this? Do you have any idea what our father would say if he were here?"

"Please, Sjenna, if I could just show you what we've found out about the dragons, you would realize this is just a big, big misunderstanding! They were attacking the tribes against their will up until three years ago! They were under the control of something much worse. If you'll let all of us show you that they're different..." Hiccup didn't know what else to say. This was _not_ going down in the way he had been planning. It was too soon. He had just needed a little more time to prepare!

"I say we listen to him." All eyes snapped to Krista, who had been silent up until then. "Look at the dragons, Sjenna. Do they really look so dangerous?" She held out a hand and motioned to the other dragons. Fishlegs's Gronckle, Meatlug, was making puppy dog eyes and scratching herself with a hind leg (typical Meatlug), the twins's zippleback, Barf and Belch, was staring dumbly up at the sky, Astrid's nadder was preening, and Toothless was looking intently back at Sjenna and Krista. Sjenna glared at the night fury, but Krista put a hand on her shoulder.

"You see? I think we should hear what Hiccup has to say. Training dragons sounds pretty remarkable, actually. I'm amazed that you've been able to tame these creatures, I can already see that they're not what we've been accustomed to in the past. You'll have to teach us more about them." Krista smiled at Hiccup with a set of pearly white teeth. _What an unusual girl, _Hiccup thought. She was also absolutely gorgeous. He wouldn't have even been able to answer if Astrid hadn't hopped down from Stormfly and punched him gently(ish) on his shoulder. Hiccup's focus returned.

"Really? Yeah, well... of course! Wow, um, I'm so glad you changed your mind. Uh, that is, if Sjenna..." he turned his attention to the dark-haired girl, who was standing angrily with her arms crossed. She could give Astrid a run for her money with that attitude. Krista nudged her sister. Sjenna huffed and turned to Hiccup.

"I'll listen to whatever it is you have to say about the stupid dragons. But only because Krista's my chaperone on this trip and I have to listen to what she says." She made a face at her older sibling before going on. "But I swear to Odin, if those dragons do anything, and I mean _anything _that could cause us harm, bad things will happen."

Astrid rolled her eyes. This girl didn't scare her. Hiccup, on the other hand, seemed a bit more uneasy. So did the other dragon trainers.

"The same goes for when my father arrives. I'm going back to the ship." Sjenna turned with a swish of her long dress and stalked out of the academy.

"I think I'll go, too" Krista added. "I'm afraid I'm... not feeling my best right now. Don't worry, we'll both be back here tomorrow to see just what you've accomplished with these dragons. I'm sure our father be... surprised by what you've done. I apologize for my sister's little outburst. 'Til tomorrow, then" She nodded respectfully and left.

Hiccup breathed out in relief. "Well _that _could've gone better."

"Yeah, well done. You handled that reeeally well, Hiccup." Astrid shook her head and put a hand on her hip. "So does this mean we can fly on the east side of the island now?"

Hiccup frowned. "I don't think that's such a good idea, at least not for today. We just need to be more careful from now on. Come on, let's get going everyone."

**::**

From outside of the academy, the two sisters watched as five dragons took off into the sky, heading in the opposite direction of the docks.

"Well done, Sjenna. Even more convincing than one of your real tantrums, actually."

"Thanks. I thought that would be the best way to handle it. I was just thinking they'd be more suspicious if we acted too trusting."

"It was a good move on your part. Make sure you keep up the act, though. After tonight, I won't be here to remind you."

Sjenna giggled. "Don't worry" she said with a wink. "I will."


	4. Your Chance

_What in the name of Odin even happened today? I meet a couple girls, I go try and do my job at the academy, my friends get annoyed with me, and then the same two girls from this morning confront me about the dragons like they own the Thorforsaken place! Gods, and now I have to tell Dad I messed up. He needs to stop this problem before it gets too big for anyone to fix it. Those girls need to go. Well, maybe Krista could stay. . . Ugh! Stop it! Do you even hear yourself?_

Berk's chief-to-be was royally wiped out, and so was Toothless. The night fury's eyes drooped and his tail dragged; the sight would have been almost laughable to Hiccup if he wasn't so tired. Four hours of drills and another three hours of free-flying would do that to a guy. Like Toothless, Hiccup could barely walk. He couldn't wait even a second longer to fall into bed and go to sleep. But of course, something like that would be too good to be true. Just as Hiccup shuffled through the doorway of his home, he found his father waiting for him in a chair. He did not look happy.

"I heard about what happened at the academy today."

"Wha- _how?"_

"The twins were being especially loud today."

Hiccup swore under his breath. "Well perfect. I guess now I'm banned from leaving this island for the rest of my life then, huh?" He waited for the lecture that was sure to follow.

"As much as I hate to say it... no."

"No? Did... did I just hear you correctly?"

Stoick looked like he was in between emotions. "I wish I could punish you until Ragnorak, son, but there's something a bit more important that needs to be done. And the sooner, the better. I just received a letter from one of the islands which is just a day's trip from Berk. The island of Gildiland. They're a bit on edge right now because they don't think they can trust another one of their neighboring islands. The second island has stopped their weapons trade and the leader of Gildiland thinks they're planning an attack. He's also too paranoid to go to the other island and do something about it. The _other_ thing is, I've also gotten a letter from the second island, informing me that they've held off on their weapons trade because supplies have been running low. Foreign problems, but that's another matter entirely. Anyways, because of this little mixup, Gildiland has blocked out any written communication from the outside, so we can't exactly write them a letter to explain what's going on. That's where you come in, Hiccup. You're needed as the mediator, to go to Gildiland and explain the misunderstanding to the chief. As for that other unfortunate event with Sjenna and Krista, I'll be having a word with them myself. And _don't _think for a minute that your trip to Gildiland excuses you from the consequences of your carelessness."

"But I didn't even do anyth-"

"I don't want to hear about it anymore" Stoick said sharply. "Did you not just hear what I was saying about Gildiland? You get to do that traveling you've practically been begging to do. Aren't you pleased at all about that?"

Of course Hiccup was pleased. The second Stoick reminded him, Hiccup was suddenly over the hill with the happy piece of news. He could finally leave! He was getting his chance to go somewhere else and get away from Berk! And not just a few miles away like he could do in an hour with Toothless. _This_ was an actual opportunity to experience some place new. Stoick could see the gleam in his son's eye as he stood up from his chair.

"I'll take it you're up for the job then. You leave first thing in the morning. Make sure to pack whatever you'll be needing, I don't think you will be gone for more than a week. Two weeks at the most. Understand?"

Hiccup gave a spirited nod and just about tripped over himself on his way to go and tell Toothless. Stoick looked on as the pride of Berk stumbled out of the house. He shook his head to himself. "I'll be lucky if he gets back with the remainder of his limbs still intact" he muttered.

Hiccup found Toothless down near the docks.

"Hey, Toothless! Wake up! Guess what?!" Toothless had been snoozing near a tall wooden post and twitched open a tired eye. Crazy human. Why was he waking him when it was still so dark outside? "Toothless, we're going! We're actually going!" Toothless's ears perked up. He knew that tone of voice. Were they going flying? Now? "We're leaving first thing in the morning! We're getting out of Berk! Isn't that great, bud?" Annoyed, the sullen night fury realized that they weren't going anywhere for at least a few more hours. The silly human just lived to tease him, didn't he? He curled his tail around his body and closed his eyes again. Hiccup huffed. "Okay, fine, don't be excited. But wait until we take off tomorrow, just us two and no one to stop us! I'm going to go get everything packed now."

He was about to head back to the house when Hiccup spotted something out on the water. It didn't seem to belong there. He squinted through the darkening light, trying to make out the shape. Was that a boat? If it was, it was a pretty small one. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. In the end, he shrugged and decided it was nothing to worry about. With that, Hiccup strolled happily back to the house with Toothless, who finally decided it would be better to tag along.

Back in the solitude of his own room, Hiccup made plans for what he would need to take with him to Gildiland. He would bring everything he thought he might need. Clothes, water, his journals, sketchbooks, and anything that might be handy if Toothless's tail or his own leg needed a fix. Actually, he did need to make a new tailfin for Toothless soon. Maybe after the trip. Hiccup also packed in some leather, twine, rope, some metal bits and pieces with the rest of his things. He had everything down to a science. With everything packed up and accounted for, he removed his tunic and settled into bed, but he didn't fall asleep for another hour. He was too excited for the morning to come.

::::::::

"Remember what I said, son. Two weeks at the _most. _No more than that. You're needed there as the mediator, you're not going there to enjoy yourself." Stoick the Vast was not letting that Sjenna-Krista mishap go. The chief would never forgive himself if he'd permanently terrorized the daughters of one of his closest friends. Hiccup blew a strand of hair from his face and grinned back at his father, too elated to feel guilty about anything.

"Don't worry, I won't take any more time than I need."

Gobber the Belch gave a smirk. That boy would take his grand old time getting back to Berk, and no one was telling him otherwise. Besides Gobber, a few other vikings had come to see Hiccup off. Astrid, of course, and Fishlegs. Snotlout was off doing whatever it was Snotlout did, and the twins had been banned from leaving their home for the day because they had set fire to Gobber's peg leg the day before. The village elder was there, though. A surprise to Stoick. A couple stray villagers were also idling around to watch, grabbing the excuse to take a break from their work.

"Listen Dad, I'm really sorry I can't stay here and talk to the sisters myself."

"Sure you are" Stoick answered. He was having none of it.

"But I know this will be the perfect job for me" Hiccup continued. "I'll help out those islands and make you proud. Promise." Hiccup smiled at his father and hopped onto Toothless, making sure the saddle and all of his belongings were secure. Ready for take-off, Hiccup suddenly felt a hand on his arm. Stoick was looking up at him, almost proudly.

"I know you'll do well, son."

Hiccup gave a half-grin and looked out in the direction of the ocean. He would be there soon. Hiccup looked around at the few friends who had come. Astrid smiled and waved, Fishlegs nodded politely, and Gobber warmheartedly shook a hook at him.

"Two weeks and no more" were the last words Stoick said to Hiccup before he let his arm go. That was his cue. Hiccup positioned himself on the saddle for take off.

"Two weeks."

And just like that, they were gone. Everyone watched both dragon and rider fly out over the water until they just a speck of black against the sky.


	5. Breathing Space

He couldn't believe it. He was free. Actually, finally free. Well, for a couple weeks at least. But still, it was better than nothing! Hiccup let out a _whoop _as he and Toothless cut through the air. Toothless shot a blast of white flame and then swooped higher to avoid crisping his rider. It was a well-practiced maneuver, and everything in that moment felt so natural anyway that Hiccup didn't even notice it. The two climbed higher in the air and did a few simple spins and flips, relishing in the fact that they wouldn't be returning to their little island of Berk that night. The sun passed its highest point and was just beginning to dip back down. The waters below were calm. Hiccup whooped again as Toothless dove down to skim the water, spraying icy droplets all over Hiccup's face. He breathed in. The air seemed to fill his lungs more than it ever had before. He had some space to breathe now, and it was fantastic. The two friends dipped lower before pulling up from the ocean in a few thrilling movements. _This kind of thing needs to be savored forever. I might never get this kind of opportunity again... unless I run away. _

Hiccup had considered this alternative before- running away. But that was an option he had quickly beaten down time and time again. He could never leave his father. Or Astrid. Not without them having at least an idea of where he was, anyway. Hiccup let the thought settle back in his mind and decided to forget about it. For the time being, he and Toothless were just enjoying the open air.

:::::::::

**_Back on Berk_**

Astrid was way too busy to be doing anyone favors. She'd only been practicing her axe-wielding for _half an hour _when the chief came to ask her of one. What favor exactly? To go check up on the touchy twosome, Sjenna and Krista. Astrid had better things to do. But of course, no one could refuse an assignment from the chief. So there she was, at the entrance to the docks, making her way to the stupidly elegant ship where she knew she would find the sisters. The gangplank was lowered but no one else was on deck except for two lone guards, who were comparing axes and bragging about conquests or the length of their beards or whatever. Astrid made her way up the ship and crossed the deck to the guards.

"Hey, you two" no one was more straightforward than Astrid Hofferson. "I was sent by the chief of Berk to check up on the visitors."

The guards eyed eachother nervously.

"Well?" demanded Astrid. "You know where they are, right? Krista? Sjenna? Ring any bells, meatheads?"

One of the guards stepped forward angrily, but the other one grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him. The guard who had stepped forward quickly took a step back and tried to put on a show of politeness. It wasn't working. "Our apologies, lass" he sneered. "But the eldest sister, Krista, has taken ill. The younger is taking care of her. Neither one is to be disturbed. Lady Sjenna will be out later today. You may chat with her then." He narrowed his eyes at Astrid and returned with his comrade to their posts at the bow. He turned his head one last time to make sure Astrid was leaving. Astrid, on the other hand, felt like sticking around. Pretending to leave, she headed towards the direction of the gangplank, but then stealthily dove out of sight behind a mast when the guards weren't looking. She glanced around from where she was and easily spotted the entrance down to the main cabins. Treading lightly, Astrid crept over to her targeted area and slipped through the doors before anyone could see.

Odin and Freyja, it was so dark down there. Only a single lantern hung in the hall. There were three rooms, Astrid could tell, since there were only three doors. One on each side and one down at the very end of the cramped hallway. All three doors were closed. Astrid decided against knocking on all three of the doors to see who would come out. She already had a bad feeling about these people. Instead, she tiptoed to the door on her right first, and glanced down at the crack under the door to see if there was any light inside. None. With a steady hand Astrid gently pushed against the door. It opened easily, without creaking. She peered inside the room. The small amount of light from the lantern leaked into the tiny cabin to reveal that no one was there. Astrid shut the door and headed to the next, the one at the end of the hallway. There was no light coming from this door either, but Astrid was still cautious. Doing the same as she had done with the other door (and thank the gods, this one didn't creak either), she peeped inside- to discover that this cabin was empty as well. She sighed, but looked around the room anyway. One bed, neatly made. One vanity with a polished mirror. Three different combs. An open trunk... was it empty? Yes, the trunk was empty. Odd...

She looked around some more. Whoever used this cabin was definitely a girl. The room was too neat. The vanity was too small and delicate-looking. And no man _she _had ever met used three jeweled combs. Without a doubt, this was one of the sisters's rooms. But where were the sisters? Astrid backed out of the cabin and quietly clicked the door shut. Perfect timing. Astrid immediately heard another door creak open behind her, making Astrid shudder. Well at least she knew _that _one creaked, and badly. She spun around, just in time to see a sleepy looking Sjenna emerge from her cabin. Astrid tried to look nonchalant. Well, as nonchalant as one can be when they're in someone else's boat, uninvited. Sjenna turned around. Upon seeing Astrid she jumped in surprise.

"What are _you _doing down here? Didn't the guards tell you to leave? I told them to send away anyone who came around." Sjenna had by far the brattiest sounding voice that Astrid had ever heard. It made her want to slap the color out of the girl's braid.

"Guards? What guards?" Astrid asked, keeping her composure. "I didn't see anyone up there. The chief sent me down to check up on Krista, and I only just found my way down here."

"Hmph! You're wasting your time. Krista's too sick to see anyone right now. You need to leave. _Now." _

"Hey, don't you talk to me like that!" Astrid couldn't take the attitude anymore. It was worse than her _own, _and that wasn't an exaggeration. "A shieldmaiden doesn't take orders from people like _you."_

"Ex_cuse _me? That is no way to talk to the daughter of a chief!"

"Oh, trust me, I've been talking the same way to the _son _of a chief for quite some time now, and I respect him a lot more than you!"

"I would take that back if I were you, _shieldpig."_

Astrid was so, so ready to strangle this girl. She was actually shaking from anger. Sjenna had a satisfied smirk on her face, and Astrid positively hated giving in. She really, really wanted to strangle her. But then the guards would find them, and that would blow Astrid's cover. She still had to pretend like she hadn't just discovered one of the girls to be missing.

"You know something?" Astrid said, taking a deep breath. "As much as I hate to say it, you're right. I'm so, so sorry that I snapped at you. I apologize, _princess_." Sarcasm dripped heavily from her words. Apparently Sjenna didn't catch it. _Wow, this girl is thick, _thought Astrid. But at least she bought it.

"Whatever" Sjenna replied. "Just leave. And stay away from this boat. I don't want nosy little peasants like you wandering around my cabin. Go." Sjenna waggled her fingers mockingly in goodbye. Astrid, stiff as a board and practicing some serious self-restraint, marched back up the stairway to the main deck. The guards hadn't moved from their posts. Astrid did the same thing as she had done before. Hide behind the mast. Get to the gangplank. Don't get caught. There. Finally she found herself back on solid ground.

Astrid was practically sprinting to get to the chief's house. She only needed to knock once before Stoick opened the door.

"Astrid! Back so soon? How are the sisters? Was Krista in pretty bad shape? Hey, you don't look so good, lass. Have a seat."

Astrid welcomed the offer and seated herself in one of the chairs by the main room. "Sir, I..." she was still trying to get her breath back.

"You... what? Well what is it? Spit it out." Stoick was getting anxious.

"The... sisters... Krista... not there... missing... empty cabin... Sjenna said... get out... doesn't know I... know." Astrid coughed.

"Easy there, easy. Just take a breath, Astrid. Now tell me from the beginning. What happened?"

So Astrid recounted her entire story of the events on board the visiting ship. The shifty guards. The empty cabins. The open trunk with nothing inside. An angry Sjenna. Stoick's expression grew darker and darker as Astrid told him what she had seen. When Astrid had finished, Stoick wrung his hands and sat down across from her.

"This is disturbing news. Krista is missing, and what's worse, those guards and Sjenna all seem to know. And they're _not _disturbed by it. I should have known Seljast wouldn't get over this-"

"Get over what?" Astrid interrupted. Stoick shook his head.

"No... it's nothing to concern you."

"If it puts the village in danger, I think it does concern me, sir." Astrid knew this was what Hiccup had been planning to talk to her about. This Seljast character didn't sound like he was someone to be trusted. The chief let out a heavy sigh.

"Very well. I will tell you, but only you, about this matter. No one else in this tribe can know about this. Do you understand?" Astrid nodded. Readjusting himself in his chair, Stoick told Astrid what he had told Hiccup: Seljast's wife had been killed by dragons, and it had happened on Berk. Seljast then left Berk with an angry heart and had stopped visiting the Hooligan tribe for the past ten years. Astrid was taken aback by the story, but she finally understood part of why Seljast's daughters had been so reluctant to make friends with the dragons at first. What confused her was, they also seemed to have gotten over their fear rather quickly. Another thing that struck Astrid as odd. She voiced this opinion to Stoick, too. This made Stoick's expression go even darker.

"I don't like the sound of it. For now, we keep this between the two of us. I may inform Gobber about your discovery too, but for now this needs to be kept quiet. We have to start taking any necessary precautions. Make some preparations. Just in case."

"Sir?"

"Hmm?"

"Preparations for what, exactly?"

Stoick the Vast looked weary. "That's just it," he growled, more to himself than to Astrid, "I don't quite know. But it can't be good for the Hooligan tribe. We'll also have to get word to Hiccup. Something tells me he won't be coming back for a little while longer."


	6. Tinker

The sun hung lower over ocean, casting a haze of orange and gold across the water. Hiccup and Toothless were enjoying themselves immensely. A few hours passed as the two flew on towards Gildiland, which was soon visible as a black dot on the water a number of miles away. Hiccup looked at his compass to make sure they were still heading in the right direction. His father had told him to head due north and keep going. Gildiland was the first island from Berk in that direction.

"Almost there, Toothless! Just another hour and we'll be there. Maybe we'll make it to Gildiland in even less time than that, huh?"

Toothless flapped his wings harder. The wind whipped against Hiccup's face and blew his hair in all sorts of wacky directions. Hiccup felt like he would never get tired of that. Something felt a teensy bit off, though. It felt like they were veering a little to the right every few seconds. They seemed to be subconsciously fixing the problem every few minutes though, and they were still on course, so it couldn't have been too big a problem. Still, Hiccup wanted to make sure. He twisted himself around in the saddle to get a good look at Toothless's fake tailfin. There it was (how had he not caught that before?) The tailfin had just the slightest of tears in it, and the very tip was bent by a few degrees. But as long as they kept on correcting themselves, they should be fine until they got to Gildiland. Hiccup made sure to keep that in mind for later. At least until they landed and found somewhere to repair it.

The sun was already beginning to set by the time Toothless and Hiccup reached the island, which was remarkably larger than Hiccup had expected it to be. It was quite a bit bigger than the Isle of Berk and, as far as Hiccup could tell, much more interesting. He looked down at the island, which was coming up fast as Toothless put every ounce of energy he had left into getting them both to a landing spot. Ten minutes later the two touched down in a grassy area. There wasn't a Gildilander in sight, not on this part of the island. Hiccup climbed clumsily out of his saddle. The second his feet touched the ground, he collapsed awkwardly against Toothless and tried to stretch out his back.

"_Augh, _I need to stretch my legs a little before we go anywhere else, okay bud?"

Toothless snorted, blowing hot air in Hiccup face.

"Hey hey hey, come on, I'm not the one who's been sitting on a dragon for the past six hours!"

Toothless turned away.

"Okay, _fine, _maybe I wasn't the one doing the actual flying but my legs _still _hurt. Don't get all huffy with me, you big baby." Hiccup wasn't lying. His legs were killing him! The leg (or rather the stump) with the shaped hunk of metal he now called a foot was also causing him some pain. Hiccup bent down and unstrapped the metal foot from his leg. Then he sat down and inhaled. _How about that. We're really here. Miles away from Berk and the world at our fingertips... well, Gildiland at our fingertips. Either one works. It's not Berk, and that's all that matters. We're here! Haha!_

Hiccup laughed out loud and strapped his fake foot back on after a few minutes of just sitting quietly, reveling in this new feeling of freedom.

The village was quiet. It was the time of rest, and everyone was likely warm in their homes, finishing their suppers and going to bed. Hiccup and Toothless were the only ones out. All the better, Hiccup decided, since he was certain that most people here would be pretty surprised to find a random visitor and his dragon wandering around their island. The two stepped quietly through the rows of wooden huts and many of the small shops. Now if they could just find the forge... aha! That must be it, up at the top of that hill. A stone and wood construction with smoke billowing out of the chimney. Open doors, warm lights, a wide stone chimney, and the only building with thick black smoke spurting out of it. All the signs of a proper forge. Hiccup only hoped that the village smithy would be an understanding man. He stopped walking for a minute and spoke to Toothless.

"All right buddy, I know you're not gonna like this, but I really need you to to stay out of sight for now, okay? It'll be just for tonight. I'm going to go up to that place over there," he pointed at the forge, "and I'm going to ask to stay the night. I don't think too many others here will be as understanding, and at least I'll have some things common with the man in there. You can stay hidden nearby. Just head over the hill up there and find a nice place to rest, okay? I'll bring down some food later if I can." Hiccup patted Toothless's nose and motioned for the night fury to go. Toothless whined, but complied. Hiccup didn't get off so easily though. On his way out, Toothless smacked Hiccup over the head with his tail and then hurried off to find a place to settle in for the night. Hiccup rubbed his head, walking up the hill to the one place where he might find himself somewhere to stay. He might even get a warm meal if he was lucky. With that thought in mind, he walked faster towards the forge.

Hiccup stood in the doorway of the low building. He had been right. The sign over the door had the word _smithja_ carved into it. _Here goes nothing, _he thought. He knocked on the open door. A _clatter _sounded from the back of the room.

"What's that? Who is it? Don't you people know it's Hildi's time to sleep? What's the idea, waking a poor old smithy at this time of night?"

That was funny, the voice didn't _sound _like a man's. Did Hiccup have the right place? He watched as a woman with a tight bun of greying hair strode out of a back room, undoubtedly a bedroom, wearing a woolen blanket and a severely aggravated expression. When she saw Hiccup she stopped. "And who are you?"

"I uh, my name's Hiccup, ma'm."

"Hiccup? What an interesting name. You're not from here, are you, boy?" She pointed a scarred finger at Hiccup. What could've made those little red marks on her hands? The woman continued to speak. "Why have you come to bother me so late at night?"

"Uh, it's evening actually."

"Hmph!"

"I came here looking for the blacksmith. Would you happen to know where he is?"

The woman, whose name must have been Hildi (she'd yelled it pretty loudly), began to cackle.

"Standing right here, boy. You're lookin' at her!"

Hiccup blinked a few times. "S-sorry? You mean, _you're _the village blacksmith?"

"The one and only!" Hildi lifted her chin haughtily and crossed her arms. "Now what can I do you for, Nitpick?"

"Uh, it's Hiccup."

"I knew that."

"Well... I was kind of looking for a place to stay the night. I only just arrived and I'm a little tired."

"Oh! That's fine then!" The woman's expression softened instantly. "For a second I thought you were going to ask me to repair a shield or something like that. Old Aunt Hildi welcomes a guest every once in a while. But where are the others? Surely you didn't come here alone? There must have been others on your ship, yes?" Hildi looked expectantly at Hiccup.

"No ma'm-"

"Please, call me Aunt Hildi. Everyone else around here does."

"Okay... _Aunt _Hildi. I was the only one who came here. Well, me and Toothless."

"Who's Toothless?"

Hiccup sighed. "Do you think I could tell you everything tomorrow morning? I've had a long day."

"Say no more, say no more. Old Hildi won't ask anymore questions. When was the last time you ate, boy?"

So much for no more questions.

"Not since this morning." As if to further prove his point, Hiccup's stomach growled.

"Poor thing. I'll fix you up something to eat, and then you can get yourself some sleep. I'll make up a little bed on that bench over there for you. I just need to clear away some things."

Hiccup thanked the kindly smithy and accepted the bowl of soup and piece of bread that was offered him. He had no trouble finishing it. Half-asleep already and tired from a long day's flight, Hiccup walked over to the workbench, which had a couple blankets thrown on it. Just then he remembered something he needed to ask.

"Oh, ma'm- er, a-_aunt_ Hildi?"

"Yes Buttercup?"

"Hiccup."

"I knew that."

"Would you by any chance have some metal rods and extra leather lying around this place?"

"What for?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"Oh! Of course, of course. No questions until tomorrow. Yes, I've got a few things lying around the place. You may use them if you really need to. It's rare of me to have guests who ask such strange things. Then again, it's rare if I ever get any guests at all, hehe! Have a good night, Hickory." She yawned and retreated to her back room. Not a minute later Hiccup could hear snoring.

He lay down on the workbench and made himself comfortable. "It's Hiccup" he breathed, giving in to the warmth of the blankets and falling into a deep sleep.

:::::::::::::::

The next morning was something of a blur to Hiccup. He managed to wake up before the sun was even halfway up and he was able to fix Toothless's tailfin. With that out of the way, he had decided there were enough supplies in the forge to make a new one, too. He had time, so he set to working on a new tailfin. It would definitely come in handy, Hiccup thought, to have a spare. Then about halfway through his work, Hiccup had been interrupted by a loud yawn from Hildi as the old smithy shuffled into the main workshop. "Oh my! You're quite the tinker. What a lovely little contraption that is! Eh... what is it?" Those had been the first sentences out of her mouth. That was when Hiccup decided he might as well tell her what he was making (and who it was for) and get it over with.

Surprisingly enough, Hildi had been remarkably calm when Hiccup finally introduced her to Toothless. She told Hiccup that she had seen dragons in her younger years and had never really been afraid of them. They interested her. She was excited to meet a dragon like Toothless who, as far as anyone knew, was a one-of-a-kind.

"So what are you going to do, now that you've got your dragon's tail all fixed? That couldn't have been the only reason you came to Gildiland. Where did you say you were from again?"

Hiccup answered as much as he could. He was from Berk. He was there to settle a dispute between Gildiland and a neighboring island. To do that, he needed to speak with the chief.

"Oh! _I _can get you to see the chief. Trust me, he's a good man. And he respects his elders like a good man should." Hildi pointed at herself when she mentioned "respecting elders."

"We'll get this mess all sorted in no time. I'm glad someone's figured this out and come to tell us about the weapons problem. The people have been getting uptight about the whole thing. I'm so glad we won't have to get involved in a fight now."

Hiccup nodded.

"So when did you plan on meeting the chief?" asked Hildi.

"Hmm?" Hiccup was feeding Toothless a piece of fish. "Oh! Uh, today would be best I suppose. I think it'd be better to settle this as soon as possible. Do you think he'll take a meeting with me?"

Hildi smiled, grabbing Hiccup by the arm. "Well I don't know for sure, but let's go and find out, shall we?" She pulled Hiccup along as the two of them walked back over the hill and towards town. Toothless followed. Hiccup hoped that not too many people would be outside to witness such a sight: a stranger, the village blacksmith, and a great black dragon, all marching down to the chief's house. Hildi chatted with Hiccup the whole way down.

"Now I don't know if he'll see you _immediately. _At least, not unless you're someone important." Hildi chuckled.

"Well, does being the heir to the chief of Berk count as important?" Hiccup replied casually. Hildi slowed down, startled by Hiccup's words.

"You, the son of a chief? Impossible. Is that true, boy?" She stared at the tall, gangly thing with the smattering of freckles, the messy auburn hair, and the fake leg. He didn't exactly look like chief material. Hildi wasn't allowed to ask about the metal leg, either. For all she knew, the kid was also rather clumsy and had lost the limb in some accident.

"I'm the son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Isle of Berk. I'm the heir to the chiefdom. Do you think _your_ chief will see me sooner if I tell him what I told you?" Hiccup gave the smithy an apprehensive look. Hildi picked up the pace and looked forward for a minute or so. Finally she answered, "Yes... yes I think that would do it. That would get you a meeting with Chief Sten the Softsword, no problem."

"Sten the Softsword?"

"That's right. The chief. He's firm but fair. His speeches can pierce through his listeners like a sharp sword, but he can also be kind and gentle if the time calls for it. And of course he's a master swordsman, to top it all off."

Hiccup pondered her words as the grandest house in the village came into sight. The doors were closed, but there was light coming through the windows. The chief was awake.

"Go on ahead, I need to get back to my job at the forge" Hildi said as they came to a stop. "Good luck, Huckleberry."

"Hiccup."

"I _knew_ that."

::::::::::::

"So you're the son of Stoick the Vast, eh?" Sten the Softsword was much shorter than Hiccup had pictured him in his head.

"Yes sir. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Like I said before."

"And you're telling me that this whole weapons trade mishap has all been nothing but a misunderstanding?"

"Yes sir" Hiccup was getting tired of having his own sentences thrown back at him in question form. "So will you stop blocking outside communications and send a letter of apology to the other island?" It had been two hours. Hiccup just wanted to go back to the forge and have a meal with Aunt Hildi. No such luck, of course. He was sure that Toothless would be getting anxious too. Toothless was waiting around back, behind the chief's home. He wouldn't be spotted by anyone there.

The chief cleared his throat and folded his hands in his lap. "I trust your words, mostly because you are the son of a chief, and a chief that I greatly admire. I've heard your name before, Hiccup. Stories float around. You were the boy who defeated the Great Dragon. I believe it. I saw your leg when you walked in here. Quite impressive, quite impressive." This man just didn't stop _talking. _The chief's light beard shook up and down as his mouth flapped open and shut. "So, Hiccup, how early did your ship arrive this morning? You must have left quite late at night to get here."

"Oh, we actually arrived last night" Hiccup answered.

"You... you arrived last night?"

"Yes sir."

"How, exactly?"

"With Toothless, sir."

"Toothless...?" the chief scrunched his eyebrows together, failing to understand.

"Toothless is my friend, sir. And he's also a night fury."

The chief's mouth fell open in a small "O" shape. "So you got here... on a dragon."

"That's correct." Hiccup enjoyed the reaction from the chief. He almost forgot that Gildiland had rarely received dragon attacks in the past, and not at all in the last few years. Dragons must have been more of a novelty here than they were on Berk. "Toothless is the best of them all. Loyal, fast, and fierce" he said, giving a sideways glance at Toothless through the back window. Toothless could hear Hiccup perfectly and understood a compliment when he heard one. He sat erect and looked around with self-satisfaction. As if anyone was even looking. Hiccup held back a laugh. "I can introduce you to him, if you'd like."

The chief was taken aback. "What do you mean by that? Wh-where is the beast right now? Is it here?"

Hiccup chuckled. "He's just outside, around back. Would you like me to call him in, sir?"

"Oh, um, yes. Yes that would be fine. I remember hearing that the Berkians rode dragons, but of course I wasn't thinking about that at the moment, seeing as you arrived so suddenly. Yes, bring the dragon in. It must be quite a sight, I'm sure."

"_He"_ Hiccup responded, "is definitely a remarkable sight. Especially when it's your first time seeing him."

::::::::::::::::::

The meeting was a success. Sten took to Toothless well, but the chief was more on the skittish side when it came to spending time with a dragon for more than five minutes. _Thank Thor it's finally over with. _Hiccup was having a grand old time strolling by the water with Toothless on a more remote part of the island, away from all the crowds. His talk with the chief had taken much less time than he ever thought it would. Afterwards he had gone back to eat lunch and then wandered around the town. What would he do with the other week and six days he had left? He had money. He could do a bit of shopping in the village. There was one shop in particular that had caught Hiccup's eye: the cartographer's. He wanted to know about the other places that existed farther south. That was something to consider, a visit to the cartographer's place for a map that showed just the south. Hiccup's own map of the southern countries was very vague. It was either that, or he could go back to the forge and work on the new tail for Toothless. Or maybe the two friends could just stay there, right on the coast, and look out at the vast sea for the remainder of their time in Gildiland. That was what Hiccup wanted to do at the moment. While Toothless hunted for fish in the shallow waters, Hiccup gazed out across the sea. The sun was beginning to set. He watched as a bird flew close to the island. _Hang on, _Hiccup thought_, that's not a bird. That's a..._

Hiccup knew a dragon when he saw one. It was very small, most likely a terrible terror. And it was flying in his direction. As it got closer, Hiccup could just make out something attached to the petite dragon's leg. A few minutes later Hiccup stood up just as the dragon landed haphazardly on the grainy soil. It bounced once, then came to a a stop with a squeal. Toothless left behind the cod he he'd caught and padded up to Hiccup and the little dragon to see what was going on. Hiccup knelt down next to the dragon- it was a common brown, not a terrible terror- and inspected its leg. There was a piece of paper tied to it. A letter? He cut the string with his pocket knife and unfolded it. It was a letter for him. The handwriting was messy, like it had been written in a hurry. It read,

_Son,_

_ I fear that Berk is in danger. A few hours after you left, Astrid went to check on the_ _sisters. She discovered that Krista was missing, and from what I was told, Sjenna was also behaving suspiciously. Tonight a man was caught outside of the mead hall, a spy, listening to me and Gobber while we were discussing the_ _matter. He was captured by another Berkian, and during his questioning he announced in confidence that Berk was no match for Askr Ey. Upon further inquiry, he shouted for the world to hear that his loyalty lay with Seljast, chief of the Askr Gotar. Then he proceeded to run himself through with his own knife. The man is dead. The visiting ship carrying Sjenna has left, and they might very well be unaware that you are not on Berk. However, I do not doubt that more spies are here on the island, ready to give word to Seljast should anyone else leave. I'm afraid this may only be the beginning. Hiccup, there is a very real threat that the people of Berk will soon be faced with war. You cannot return home yet. I am asking you, as my son and as the only hope Berk has left, to leave Gildiland and go to Western Francium to beg the king for help. There are so few of us and many of the Askr Gotar. We need all the help we can get. If the king of Western Francium refuses to help, find help somewhere else. We have very limited time before a fight inevitably breaks out. I know you can do this. You're a sharp young man. Have faith, son._

-_Stoick the Vast_

Hiccup glanced up from his letter, shoving the piece of paper into his pocket. Toothless was looking at him worriedly.

"I'm sorry Toothless," he said softly, "but we need to leave this place." He looked around at the water, then in the direction of Hildi's forge.

"Tonight"

_**/author's note/**_

yeah yeah so they didn't have compasses back during Hiccup's time (I'm going sort of loosey-goosey with the time period) but Hiccup's a clever li'l thing, he made his own compass and he's just ahead of his time.


	7. Where To

"Hildi! Aunt Hildi, you in here?" Hiccup ran through the door of the forge, out of breath from the long run. He had left Toothless down by the coast, already saddled and ready to go.

"In here, Hazelnut, I'll be right out."

"It's _Hiccup" _Hiccup muttered. Hildi heard him.

"I knew that!"

Hiccup caught his breath. "I have to go. I'm sorry I can't stay longer but I just got a letter from my father. My home is in danger."

Hildi emerged from her room in full blacksmith attire. She wore a thick dress covered in a heavy leather smock, as well as a glove of the same material on her left hand.

"You said danger? What's the problem?"

"Someone's been spying on Berk. I think we might have to start thinking about preparing for war, and I'm the only one who can go and find help. My father said in the letter that I need to go to Western Francium, to ask the king for help."

The old smithy clucked disapprovingly. "If you mean King Charles the Simple, you're better off asking someone else for help."

"King Charles the Simple? He's the king of Western Francium?"

"Well, he's also called Charles the Straightforward, but I think 'simple' is more accurate. You see, that king likes to stay out of everything. War, violence, washing his hair, that sort of stuff. I wouldn't go to Charles if I were you. He won't help. Try the Duke of Normandy, Hrólfr. I believe he also goes by Rolf. I hear he can be a bit shady sometimes, but always willing to send his warriors off to a good battle. Yes yes, go to Normandy. It's a bit farther in the north, but I think it's worth a shot, hmm?"

Hiccup thought for a moment. _If I go to Francium and the king refuses to help me, I'll just be a day's flight from Normandy anyway. I'll have another place to go. And if the king _does _agree to help me, I could still go to the duke and get backup assistance if we need it! Ha! I might actually have a fighting chance at saving Berk!_

"All right, I'll go to Normandy. _But, _I'm still going to try to ask the king first. My father told me that that was where I should go, and if he's wrong I'll try asking Hrólfr."

"Sounds like a fine plan to me" answered Hildi. "Now let me give you some things to bring along. Oh here, you'll want to remember that spare fin you've been making, and maybe some extra leather, and this blanket..." Hiccup left Hildi to her muttering and bustling about. He headed over to the workbench that had acted as a bed for him the past night. He grabbed the small weave bag that held his belongings from underneath the bench and brought it out. One of the straps caught on the leg though, and some of his items came clattering out. He bent down to pick up his journal, a couple pencils... had he dropped anything else?

_"Létta_! What's this?" Hildi had picked something up from the floor in an attempt to help Hiccup get his things back in order. "Is this supposed to be a feather? Well shaped, boy, but it's missing detail."

The feather! Hiccup had almost forgotten he'd packed that. "Oh! Erm, yeah, that's um, that's just something I was working on. I brought it with me to keep it safe."

Hildi furrowed her brow. "Is it for yourself, or for someone else?"

"Oh, it's..." Hiccup sighed, "it's for someone else."

"Someone special?" Hildi had a very knowing look in her eye.

"Yeah" Hiccup admitted. "Someone special." He gently took the piece of metal from the blacksmith's hand and slipped it back in the bag with the rest of his things.

"It's got traces of silver in it. You'd better take good care of that. Someone might take it, and we wouldn't want that now would we?"

Hiccup gave a halfhearted smile. "No. I just hope the person it's for is still safe when I get back home. Thank you for you hospitality, Aunt Hildi. You've been very kind. And, to be completely honest, I've never met a woman blacksmith before."

Hildi grinned proudly, displaying a set of straight but yellowing teeth. "You just haven't looked hard enough is all. I'm sure there are plenty of lady smiths all over the world! Of course, to be completely honest myself, I'd say I'm the best of them all. Now go on and get yourself to Francium, boy! How about I accompany you on your way to your dragon?"

Hiccup nodded. "Thanks."

No one paid much attention to Hiccup as he and the blacksmith made their way down to the coast. The village folk probably mistook Hiccup for a tourist, and no one seemed to notice his fake leg. The two were able to make it to Toothless without so much as a "hello" from any passersby. With his belongings all together and stuffed into the singular saddlebag, Hiccup mounted Toothless and faced down where Aunt Hildi stood.

"I wish I could've had more time to get to know you better" Hiccup said sadly.

"Ah, it's quality, not quantity" Hildi answered. "And who knows? Maybe you'll decide to come back here for a visit, eh?"

Hiccup laughed. "Yeah, I might just do that. All right Toothless, you ready?" Toothless gave an impatient beat of his wings. "Okay then. Let's go."

With a final wave to the old woman with the heavy smock and the warm eyes, Hiccup and Toothless took flight.

A few seconds after they had left the ground, Hiccup heard a yell and looked back. Aunt Hildi was waving up at them.

"Goodbye Hiccup!" she shouted through the air. Hiccup waved back. Soon Gildiland was almost half a mile away. Then Hiccup realized something.

"How about that" he murmured. "She actually got my name right."


	8. To Europe and the King

Four days passed. Hiccup and Toothless flew each night to avoid being seen and normally managed to find a place to land before dawn set in. It became a routine for the two. Fly through the night and try to find a little island to land on for the day. The third night they were unable to find a place to land because they were so far out at sea, and although they knew they wouldn't be spotted by anyone out in the middle of nowhere, they still needed rest. The two managed to find land a few hours into the morning, and Hiccup assumed it must have been somewhere on the coast of Hispania. They rested in a secluded area by the sea for the day and then took off again that night.

Hours blurred together. The tediousness of a long flight wore Hiccup down. Not until many more hours later did Hiccup realize with a jolt, _Wait... we must have crossed the border an hour ago... We're in Francium_! Hiccup looked down, straining his neck against the wind. He was right. Although one wouldn't be able to tell it was a different country just by looking at it, Hiccup knew he wouldn't be wrong about his timing. He hadn't looked down in hours and he was happy that he was looking now.

Hiccup wanted to live there. Before he had even set foot in the country, he already knew that this would be a place that he wouldn't be able to leave easily. Acres upon acres of farmland, trees and greenery, and a smattering of large buildings, all elaborately constructed and all different. Many of the larger buildings looked like they might be churches. From their bird's-eye view, Hiccup and Toothless could also see little villages here and there. The organization differed from what Hiccup was used to. Everything changed little by little as they had made their way farther southeast.

_Ok_, _now all we've got to do is find a big building that looks like castle. Shouldn't be too difficult. _Hiccup scanned the ground miles below and kept a sharp eye out for any sign of what they were looking for. He was very wrong of course- finding a castle would be much more difficult. They had been flying for hours since the sun had gone down, Hiccup was tired, and so was Toothless. Now, the sun was rising again and still no sign of the king's estate. The two would have to find the castle soon or land in a spot where they wouldn't be noticed until they wanted to be. Hiccup knew that there would be no avoiding witnesses this time. Even if he managed to avoid people for a day, he would have to get to the castle and bring Toothless with him. It would be pretty difficult to go unnoticed with a great black dragon following him, a foreigner, banging on the doors of king Charles's place. Hiccup couldn't leave Toothless in a hiding place since he would be needed, just in case Hiccup couldn't convince the king of his dilemma. He wouldn't _hurt _Charles, but normally a night fury with an attitude could scare a little sense into anyone.

Hiccup's eyes drooped. Toothless flapped his wings a little slower. This was becoming hopeless, Hiccup was about to give up. _We'll never find it in ti-_

"Wait Toothless, there! That one right down there past that little village. The stone building with the turrets and the flag! I think that's the king's castle!"

Toothless could see it easily in the dim light. It was a grand stone estate, complete with a walled courtyard, a drawbridge, and a hundred windows aglow with candlelight. They had found it- King Charles's castle! They were still too high to see whether or not there were any people near the place yet. Hiccup thanked the gods that the sun was only just coming up. Everything down below was covered in semi-darkness, he was sure no one would be able to spot him and Toothless yet. Hiccup doubted anyone could detect anything new up above, even if they had the sharpest eyes and looked up multiple times. But their cover in the dark wouldn't last much longer.

Eventually they found a place to land on the outskirts of a nearby forest, a safe distance from the village that bordered the castle.

"We made it Toothless. Western Francium." Hiccup sighed in relief and slipped out of the saddle. Toothless stretched his back like a cat might and let out a growl.

"I know, I know, we're both tired, but were gonna have to talk to the king as soon as we can. It could be a matter of life or death for the others, Toothless. We're kind of in a hurry."

Toothless was _not _going to be shortchanged from getting his beauty sleep. He gave another growl, this time of indignation, and began to walk away from Hiccup.

"Hey! Toothless, get back here. I mean it!" Hiccup stood where he was. _I am _not _going to get bossed around by a dragon. _Hiccup was in absolutely no mood for this. "Aw c'mon Toothless, we can sleep after we talk to the king!"

Toothless didn't even slow down. Hiccup groaned and rolled his eyes. Finally he gave in.

"Fine! Have it your way. But if we're too late with getting help to Berk I'm blaming you!" With that, he walked to Toothless's side and set out a blanket for himself to sleep on. It was one of the blankets Aunt Hildi had given him. What Hiccup wouldn't give to be back in the smithy, having a hot bowl of soup and chatting with the blacksmith. He lay down on his back and looked up at the clear night sky. "Just one hour, okay Toothless? One hour..." and just like that, Hiccup's eyes closed and he fell asleep, snoring as he did so. Toothless did the same but without the snoring. They were both too tired to argue anymore.

**::::::**

Hiccup was awoken by something batting at his nose. He opened his eyes and was greeted by a pair of bright green orbs two inches from his face.

"Ack!" Hiccup yelped and stood up from where he had been sleeping. He heard a loud _raaaaaow! _from somewhere below him and looked down. A tiny black cat was clinging with two paws to Hiccup's pant leg and was looking right back up at him. What the... a _cat?_ That was funny. The cat must have come from the village. It looked too well fed to be wild. Then Hiccup realized it was still pretty dark outside. They must have only been asleep for a half hour at the most. Great, and he was _still _tired. He sighed. _Well, we might as well go to the castle now. At least we can avoid more people when it's still dark out. _Although this was true, Hiccup knew that there would likely still be a few stray villagers out doing laundry or collecting wood. If this place was anything like Gildiland, the French would be shocked at the presence of Toothless. They might _hate _dragons, for all Hiccup knew. That was a chance he was willing to take, if he wanted to get to king Charles and beg for help.

After waking a rather annoyed Toothless, Hiccup steeled himself and started in the direction of the village with the night fury following close behind. A soft _meow _reached his ears and Hiccup looked back down at the black cat. It was walking right in front of him in the same direction they were headed.

"Okay then. You lead the way" Hiccup said, wondering how tired he must be to be talking to a cat. Then again, he talked to a dragon too.

**::::::::**

**Back on Berk**

"Chief! Any word from Hiccup yet?" Fishlegs was heading to the academy when he spotted Stoick the Vast trudging back to his home. There had been no messages from Hiccup in the past week, and that worried him. Fishlegs knew it too, and that was why he was asking.

"Sorry boy, no letter from him yet." Stoick looked tired. He felt tired. He wouldn't be able to keep this from the rest of he village for much longer, Berk was in enough danger as it was. Only a handful of people had witnessed the capture and suicide of the Askr Gotar spy, and those people had decided to keep the matter a secret for the time being. There was too much still in question. Would the Askr Gotar declare war on Berk? Would they take the tribe by surprise? Stoick didn't know, but he didn't like the look of things. Soon he would have to call a village meeting and tell the Berkians about their ordeal, and then they would have to start seriously preparing. It was only a matter or time now.


End file.
